Elusive Lust
by Angelus Erreare
Summary: Shin Megami Tensei: DDS1 Digital Devil Saga Serph has a strange encounter with Argilla that leaves him curious and aloof. WARNING: LIME. Complete
1. A Ghost

Elusive Lust

By: Angelus Erreare

A/N: This is my third attempt to write a decent fic for DDS. In this, I decided to try and get a bit of humor and not just angst and drama like the previous two fics (Revelation and For the Love of Her)

Warning: SEMI-AU (It will take place in the DDS1 universe with a few twists of my own.) EXTREME OOC (The characters will do and say things you we all know they'd never say or do.) Lastly, LIME (No, no lemons this time)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places mentioned in the game. All characters, places and ideas belong to ATLUS.

Chapter 1: A Ghost

The members of Embryon huddled together in silence as Gale laid out the current situation that they had found themselves.

"We have received word that the Vanguards are preparing an offensive to cut-off one of our supply depots. According to our source, they plan to hit tonight at 0200 hours." He pointed to the projection, "They plan to hit here. The terrain is good and we could use both it and the darkness to mask our presence."

Everyone groaned. They all knew what was coming next. Well, with the exception of Heat, that is.

"It means that we must intercept them and dispose of their task force. We leave tonight at 1200 hours. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah," Heat interjected, "Are there any rules of engagement that we should be notified?"

Gale nodded; his sea-foam green eyes solemn as ever peering into each and everyone's eyes for a moment before settling back on Heat, "Yes, especially for you Heat. The kill must be direct and efficient. That would mean that there is no room for your 'preference'. Kill at sight. That is all."

The group glanced at Heat and chuckled. Heat always managed to get himself berated by Gale at his preference of killing. Heat had a strong predisposition to mutilate corpses or to kill in a very dramatic fashion. Everyone swore that should Heat had been a member of another tribe, Heat would have been branded as a demon and they would all come to fear him.

But, that wasn't the case. He was a member of the Embryon. To them, he was a brother with unquestionable loyalty and a dependable comrade in arms. That was enough for all of them.

Gale touched his forehead with his fingers and shook his head, "I mean it this time Heat. Another of your theatrics will result you in a court-martial by our Leader."

All eyes turned to Serph.

He looked at Heat and nodded.

Heat groaned, "You've got to be kidding."

"No we are not. Are there any other questions?" That was always Gale's style; curt and direct to the point.

Heat raised his hand once more, "Who gets to go in this picnic?"

Gale nodded, "The task force will include of only one squad. It will consist of you, Cielo, myself and three others."

"Whoah there Gale!" Argilla protested, "What about me and Serph? You guys need us there."

Gale shook his head, "No. It is possible that this is a trap. They may have discovered our spy and made him leak false information. It is possible that they are trying to draw our leader in the open for a quick assassination. And since the task force will be small so as to maneuver for effectively, the addition of two more members would nullify efficiency. Furthermore, should this be a trap, then, they would anticipate a small task force to intercept them to which they themselves would have a matching small force and then finish us easily when their backup arrives."

Argilla frowned, disappointed but she knew that Gale was right.

"We need you here. You are only second to me Argilla. You are the only one capable of taking my place."

"Ey! Are you trying to say something about our intelligence brudda?" Cielo asked, pointing his finger at Gale with a feigned look of anger.

Gale turned to his direction, "I am only stating the facts here. And that is, Argilla has both the rank and the capability to hold her own while we're out."

"Den, why not send someone else ja?" Cielo complained, sitting himself on the chair and crossing his arms defiantly.

"No way! And let someone else have all the fun?" Heat sneered, "Besides, they'll just screw this up for us."

Gale nodded in concurrence, "Heat is right. We are the ones best suited for this job."

Gale, having met no more objections, turned to Serph, "Shall we proceed with the plan Serph?"

Serph looked at Gale intently and nodded.

Gale nodded in return and glanced at the group, "Prepare to depart at 1200 hours. You are all dismissed."

xxxxx

The offensive had begun and the group had left. Argilla and Serph watched their back as they went.

Cielo, with a Cheshire-cat's grin, turned and faced the two, "And don't you two be naughty while we're out ja?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at Serph and winked suggestively at Argilla. Argilla frowned, blushing and reached for the nearest object in her hand; a coffee mug, and threw it in his direction.

"Ah! Are you tryin to kill me mon? Dat won't be good for de mission ja?"

"Then get your ass moving!" Argilla shouted, her face still a beet red.

"I'm goin! I'm goin."

And then, Cielo was gone.

Argilla didn't know how it happened, but Cielo's comments made her feel suddenly awkward with Serph. So, with an embarrassed face, she turned to look at him only to discover that his eyes were fixed on hers, with a look of curiosity in them.

"Well, ugh, see you Serph. I'll be doing the rounds tonight."

With no response from him, she took her leave.

xxxxx

Serph walked through the hallways on their barracks. Cielo's words seemed to have a strange effect on his system. He couldn't figure it out but since then, all he could think about was his teammate.

Argilla.

He didn't notice it before. He didn't notice how unique her hair color was. He didn't notice how full her lips were, how her eyes burned with intensity and fire, how her creamy legs displayed themselves from her skirt. He couldn't put the right word for it but he tried.

'She looks…tempting.'

Serph blinked, where did that come from? Tempting? To do what?

He didn't know.

But a voice in his head suddenly spoke, "She's tempting to claim."

'Claim? As what?' he asked himself in confusion. What did all these thoughts and feelings mean?

'Tempting to…'

Serph closed his eyes and shook his head, 'This is going nowhere. I better get back to work.'

He walked through their empty barrack. Since his team was gone, the place was empty. Except for him and Argilla that is. He continued to walk along its halls trying to dispel images of her in his head when he heard a noise.

Serph immediately went for his gun and looked around, strafing the walls, he looked left and right but found no one. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk again, dismissing it as a figment of his imagination.

Then he heard it again.

He tried to intently listen this time. It wasn't a noise; it was a moan; a low and drawling moan. The moan was faint and distant. In fact, it was almost impossible to hear under normal circumstances, but since the barrack was empty, all noises faint or pronounced were heightened. Serph knitted his eyebrows as he scanned the area looking for the possible sources of this 'moan'.

He followed his ears and they led him to the door of the storeroom. He slowly went for his gun once more and slowly opened the door, checking all danger areas before proceeding.

He looked around and saw that no one was in the room. He growled in frustration; he knew what he heard! That sound was coming from there!

Then, he heard the moan once again, only louder. Serph whipped his head around thinking that the person or whatever it was making these moans were behind him.

There was no one there.

The moans continued and Serph listened more intently. The moan sounded as if an animal was making them. It didn't sound human; it sounded distorted.

He looked around again to discover its source. He looked up and there was his answer.

The moans were coming from the air ducts. It wasn't coming from here at all.

Serph, now determined to find the source of this, climbed up into the ducts. He thanked his lucky stars that he didn't weigh as much as Heat or Gale, otherwise, the duct wouldn't be able to support his weight.

He continued to crawl through it when he heard the moan once more. This time, the moans were different from the ones he heard from the halls and the storeroom. The moans were more pronounced and less distorted.

Now, he deemed, they sounded human.

He crawled further in and then heard the moans again.

He could hear it properly now, it was a pleasurable moan. The moan was low, deep-breathed and sensual. Serph felt a tingle in his system as he heard the moan. But what made him do so was the fact that the moan seemed to be…female.

He crawled further in, now determined more than ever to discover the truth behind this conspiracy.

And then, suddenly, the moaning stopped. Serph raised an eyebrow, 'Where did it go?'

It was then that strange thoughts appeared in his head. Was it all his imagination? Or, if it was all real, did whatever was making those noises become aware of his presence?

He waited a while longer. He didn't know how long he stayed in the air duct but when a bead of sweat landed on the duct from his chin, he knew that he stayed longer than practical.

He cursed himself for being such an idiot. Imagining moans and following it through the air ducts. Yep. The Embryon members would surely respect him more than ever. He could just see their faces; filled with amusement, disbelief and shock.

He could just picture Gale's look of disappointment and displeasure, Heat's shocked expression; he could practically hear Cielo's laughter ringing in his ear! He could picture Argilla with her eyes wide, her jaw agape and a horrid expression on her face.

He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt embarrassed. Opinions of others never really weighed heavily on Serph's mind, but for some reason, the scenario of him being caught red-handed in an air duct in a silly position felt as if it would be his biggest blunder in his leadership career.

He didn't really care much about Heat, Gale or Cielo's opinions, but for an elusive reason, Argilla's opinion seemed to matter to him.

He frowned; he couldn't get that look out of his mind.

'She'd probably be very disappointed in me…She'd probably lose respect for me…Damn it.'

He couldn't take it anymore. What the hell was he still doing in there?!

With a growl, Serph pried the opening in the duct and jumped down on the floor noiselessly. He dusted his suit of the dust and continued walking along the corridors. Wait a minute! The ducts led in the hallway.

Well, whatever.

He started walking again when he heard it again! This time, it was definitely louder and more pronounced. He looked around and he found himself near the lavatories. Could the sounds coming from there?

He walked carefully, listening through the walls until stopped in front of a door. Without looking at the sign outside the door, he gently turned the knob and opened it. Serph walked in the room and his eyes blinked; it was foggy in the room. With the agility and grace of a cat, he made his way further into the room. The moans were louder now and were accompanied by a deep sigh. Serph could feel his blood surging through his veins that his face was beginning to show the signs of a tinge of crimson.

He stopped when the moans did and he looked at what lay at his feet.

He blinked once, twice and blinked again. Before him was a scene that he could have only seen in his dreams or imagination. There, on the tub, lay his teammate Argilla.

Serph's heart raced, blood gushing rapidly to his head and face, his eyes widened with a mixture of shock, disbelief and something else…Desire.

Serph stood there, unmoving and frozen. She lay there herself, unmoving and unspeaking.

Argilla's eyes were closed and Serph could tell by her breathing that she had probably dozed off. Serph flushed deep red when he regarded her form before him. There she lay on the tub with her arms dangling from its edges; the bubbles provided the appropriate shielding of her modest parts.

Serph's eyes wandered to her neck and collarbone. This was the first time that he actually got a good look at her body. Her collarbone was exposed and protruded from her skin. Her skin was creamy and it glistened with moisture that Serph longed to touch.

Without thinking, Serph's hands slowly moved towards the unsuspecting female but stopped midway as she gave another moan and put her right leg to dangle at the edge of the tub; a few centimeters from Serph's leg.

Serph felt a lump in his throat form as he assessed the proximity of their limbs. He closed his eyes shut and cursed inwardly, 'Stupid! If I touched her, she'd see me! If I moved any further, she'd feel me.'

'God, what am I doing here?'

At the sound of her moan, Serph felt a jolt travel through his body and into his nether regions. He felt himself feel aroused at her moans and the view of her naked body in front of him, so tempting, filled his head with images of only her. He could see her writhing beneath him, moaning _his _name, screaming _his _name.

'Damn! I've got to get out of here…'

He backed away slowly and accidentally hit the soap on the basin, sending it tumbling on the floor.

Argilla's eyes immediately opened and she gasped in horror as her eyes met his. She screamed. Serph looked at his teammate and panicked; what was he supposed to do now?

Argilla, in an attempt to rise from the tub slipped, losing her grip and sending her to the bottom of the tub. Serph immediately rushed in and thrust his hands in the water and grabbed onto her naked waist.

She struggled in his arms but he paid her no heed and hauled her out of the tub and onto her feet.

"Let go!" he heard her scream at him but his hands remained where they were. Serph sucked in her scent; she bathed in lavender oils. His nose tingled in the pleasurable scent. Suddenly, his sight became hazy and his head became foggy with desire.

His imagination was cut short as someone rushed in to their scene, "What's going on?! I heard screaming!"

Both heads turned towards the door to see a horrified face of Heat.

"Aaaggghh!!!" Argilla screamed, "Heat GET OUT!!!!!!" Instinctively, Argilla pressed herself closer to Serph in an attempt to hide from Heat what little flesh she hadn't already exposed.

Serph felt another jolt enter his nether regions as Argilla pressed herself against him. This, their position and her nudity wasn't helping him at all.

Heat's eyes went from Argilla to Serph.

'Serph and Argilla…? Whoah…this is heavy…'

Heat opened his mouth to say something but just ended up pointing his finger towards the hallway, "I-I…I'll just be…ugh…really sorry…"

He then quickly grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door closed.

She stopped screaming and realized that she was still in his arms. She looked into his eyes angrily, "Let go…"

Serph nodded and released his grip on her only to hear her protest, "No!! Don't let go!!"

Serph gave her a confused look and she continued, "Close your eyes first…!"

He nodded once more and closed his eyes then releasing his grip on her. Argilla, satisfied at what she saw, stepped back from him and continued to step back towards her towel.

She kept both eyes on him, "Serph, if you dare even think of opening those eyes of yours, I swear I'll gouge them out!" she threatened.

Serph gulped and nodded.

Argilla reached for her towel and quickly wrapped herself in it. She took a quick glance at Serph and saw a deep blush adorning his cheeks. Something in her softened; he was just too cute!

'But a pervert!'

She walked towards the door and turned the knob.

"You can look now."

Serph opened his eyes, expecting to see her in front of him clad in a towel, but found no one. He looked around and saw the door opened. She had already left.

'She probably hates me…' he thought regretfully.

xxxxx

"Argh!! I can't believe I let him do that!! And Heat saw it too…"

Argilla moaned in frustration, "Now what'll they say about me…? This is just too embarrassing. Damn it!"

Argilla wanted to trash her room right now.

What would she say to Heat? What would she say to Serph? Heck, how could she even look at him? She groaned; now she had really done it.

"Okay, okay." she told herself, "Just calm down."

When her breathing became steady, she sat herself on her bed, "This is so weird. But…what was he doing there anyway? It's not like Serph to be a Peeping Tom." she sneered.

"But anyway…what's done is done…Ugh…Tomorrow is going to be hell."

xxxxx

Serph walked back to his room absentmindedly. He entered his room and sat on the bed, replaying the events in his head.

'Damn…she'll hate me now…I shouldn't have…What was I thinking?'

But then, the images of her suddenly came rushing back to his head. He shut his eyes, 'What is she doing to me?'

Serph felt lost and confused; to say the least. Before this, he had never felt these feelings before. He always commanded responsibility and now, all the years of toiling, his discipline crumbled. They all crumbled at the sight of her.

It was confusing and troubling. Serph had always been aware of the battlefield. He was aware of the rules of engagements and even should he encounter uncertainty in battle and war, he always found his way; because he knew the rules of the game.

But the game he had foolishly entered tonight was completely different from the ones he knew. This game that he was playing with her was difficult and dangerous. It was dangerous because he didn't know its rules and proceedings. He doesn't know what the outcome of such a game should be.

His sight began to spin and his head began to hurt.

This was all new to him. But for some reason, he felt good. The feelings she awoke in him were pleasurable. The way her skin felt against his…the way her eyes peered in his; all these made him realize one thing-he wanted her.

He shook his head once more. These feelings may be pleasurable but they could be dangerous should they be used against him. This was a game; a battle.

He hadn't lost a battle yet; he would figure out this game and he was going to win. And what better way to find out about it than to find out through her?

She was the key. She made him feel this way and she was going to teach him this game.

xxxxx


	2. Phantom

A/N: For Warning and Disclaimer, refer back to Chapter 1.

Chapter 2: Phantom

Argilla looked at herself at her vanity table without much enthusiasm. She was damn tired. She had not been able to sleep.

Why?

Because she saw only _his_ face the moment she closed her eyes. She brushed her fluffy pink hair absentmindedly, loosely applying the hair clips needed to support the bun of her hair.

She didn't know how it came to be but the next thing she knew, she had heard a transmission in her room. She listened to the dissemination machine sleepily. She blinked her eyes over and over; she had been asleep at her vanity table. For how long?

'Who cares…?' she internally grumbled.

_You are requested to report at the Strategy Room ASAP. Repeat. You are requested to report at the Strategy Room ASAP._

In that instant, she scrambled to her feet and headed for her door.

Argilla walked through the hallways and headed for the Strategy Room. She stifled a yawn that threatened to escape her lips. The meeting was early; 0600 hours. And the fact the she hadn't had any sleep the previous night with thanks to Serph's face haunting her every time she closed her eyes only added salt to the wound.

The word 'sleepy' was an understatement; she was exhausted.

She growled. Her relaxing bubble bath the previous night was supposed to calm her nerves and give her the relaxation she deserved. But _no_; Serph had to ruin it all for her. Not to mention, the humiliation she faced at his hands and Heat's eyes.

Heat.

He was going to be more of a problem than Serph.

Serph was silent and kept to himself. He wasn't going to make her feel awkward.

Right?

Right.

But Heat was another issue.

Heat was loud and boisterous. He saw them last night. Her mind did an instant replay of last night's events and she groaned at what she remembered.

It wasn't bad enough that Heat saw her naked. Heat saw her naked within Serph's arms. She did a double-take. She was _naked_, Serph was in the bath with her, Serph had his hands on her.

Oh boy, this would really make good publicity for her.

Yup, no doubt about it.

Unless, she could get Heat to shut up. That was, if he hadn't already spread the word.

Argilla cracked her knuckles; she was going to have a talk with our _darling_ Heat.

She trudged into the strategy room, still in a world within her head.

"Ahem."

The voice roused Argilla from her dream world and she saw that all eyes of her teammates were centered on her.

'What are they looking at?' she wondered curiously and a bit exasperatedly.

"Wat happened to you hair?" Cielo asked, having a pasted look of horror on his face.

Her hair? What happened to it? Nothing.

Wait.

"What?" she asked. Her head hurt. She hadn't had a decent night's sleep and Cielo's dumb question wasn't helping.

"Jes look at de mirror ja?" he said, pointing to the mirror beside her.

Argilla's eyes wondered from Cielo to Heat who was snickering to Serph who just looked at her intently. She blushed slightly and before it worsened, she turned to her right side and looked into the mirror.

Okay.

There was the problem.

She gasped at what she saw, her eyes widening and her jaw agape.

Her usual pink hair put into two Chinese buns were put only in one bun, the other half was loose and disheveled.

She groaned, 'Why do these things happen to me?' Thinking of how much of a mess she was already in, having a bad-hair day wasn't so bad in comparison. So, she shrugged her shoulders, 'So? Whatever. I don't care.'

She turned her head to her teammates, "Well, I assume you called us here, _Gale,_ for a reason. A reason," she rolled her eyes, "that is more pressing than my hair."

Heat, who was snickering, smirked at her, "What's the matter? Had a _rough_ night?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She blushed and from the corner of her eyes, she saw Serph flush red as well.

"What about you Serph? You seem to have had a _rough_ night as well?" Heat smirked at their leader.

This time, Gale interjected, "What do you mean Heat?"

He turned his unfeeling eyes from Heat to Serph, "Serph, has something happened when we were away?"

Now, Heat burst out laughing when Serph and Argilla both yelled a desperate "No!!" at the same time.

"I'll say something happened." Heat laughed.

"What happened Heat?" Gale asked curiously.

Argilla looked desperately at Serph; a look that said "DO SOMETHING QUICK!!"

Serph could only look an apologetic look at his distraught teammate. Argilla's eyes burned; this had to stop now!

"Nothing happened!" she said suddenly, cutting off Heat. She looked at Heat menacingly and Heat understood, shutting his lips.

Gale raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Argilla, you should know that withholding information is a crime. If there is something amiss, you should tell your CO."

Argilla crossed her arms, "Well, this isn't concerning anything Gale. This was a private matter. I just didn't get any sleep last night. Well," she pointed to her hair, "you guys know now how insomnia affects me." she scowled.

"Well, then, if that's all, then let us proceed to the briefing." Gale stated sternly.

"We have intercepted the Vanguards and the information seems to be accurate."

Argilla tried to pay attention to what Gale had said but nothing seemed to get into her head. All she wanted to do was run from there and crawl back into her bed; and never come out.

Ever.

"…an offensive was planned…"

"The task force will enter…

"the leader is to be…"

"We are certain…"

"…the mission will…"

"victory is…"

"Dismissed."

Argilla didn't even notice that they had been debriefed until Gale came up to her, "Argilla, is there something wrong? Are you ill? Because if you are, I advice you to report to the med lab."

"Huh? No, I'm not."

"Consider that as an order soldier."

She groaned, "Alright."

Argilla marched out of the med lab, her face turning red from annoyance.

'All I wanted was some sleep!! Is that too freaking much to ask?!'

She had been detained in the med lab for hours, under the order of Gale. Gale had been so concerned at what Heat had said and at what had transpired at the meeting that he was sure to have Argilla have a full physical and psychological check up.

Everything was normal.

As she had expected.

All that was wrong was that, "You just need rest. That's all." She could still hear the voice of the medic in her head.

She lightly touched her hair, feeling the buns, checking if they were out of place.

'Well,' she thought smugly, 'that's it for my bad-hair day.'

She walked out of the building and headed for the barrack when she felt a warm hand draped over her shoulder. She immediately whipped around to meet the warm yet steely silver eyes of their leader, "Serph!"

"Are…you alright?" he asked slowly, his eyes peering into her own.

"…Yeah, I'm fine."

Argilla felt the blood rushing to her cheeks once more as they were engulfed in an awkward silence.

"I…" he began hesitantly.

Argilla could feel that he would want to talk about the previous night; which wasn't exactly Argilla's top-listed conversation topics at the moment. She just wanted to run, but his eyes kept her in place.

"…I…about last night…"

There.

He said it.

He wanted to talk about the previous night.

She was going, going…going…

She was gone.

Argilla dashed from Serph and had headed in a random direction. It was still early at Muladhara and their soldiers were scattered around.

Good for her. She could easily blend in and lose him.

xxxxx

Serph sighed.

Why did she always make things difficult for him? Scratch that. Why did she always make things complicated for him?

He had lost sight of her as she disappeared into the crowd. He frowned in annoyance.

He hadn't meant to scare her away. He didn't know what he had done wrong. He had just wanted to apologize to her but when he touched her, he felt a tingle of electricity surge through his system.

She probably felt it too.

But, the feeling was as pleasurable as it was enigmatic.

So, then why did she run from him?

Serph decided to find her. He looked around himself and decided to scale the walls of the tall buildings. He was going to find her and he was going to comb the entire area if he had to.

He needed to know if she felt for him what he felt for her.

The feeling was totally confusing. But, he couldn't get enough of it. In his desperation for the pleasurable touch, he had even dared to drape his hands on some of the other female members of Embryon. But none of them gave him that tingle. Only she can.

If that was so, then, it was all the more reason for him to find her.

He stood atop of the tallest building and used his optical scanner/locator to find her. As accurate as a falcon eyeing its prey, he found her. She was often turning back to see if she was being followed. She was still in the crowd.

Using the speed and agility that he was known for, he jumped from one building to another, quickly catching up to her. He overtook her and predicted her movements.

'Turn left…and then right…on the alley corner.' he thought knowingly. He watched as she did turn left.

He needed to move quickly. He needed to catch her.

xxxxx

Serph was nowhere to be seen.

'Maybe I lost him…' she thought with feigned confidence.

'No…he wouldn't give up like that…Something smells fishy…'

The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she felt a warm body pressed up against her back.

It just damned felt good.

But at the same time, it just felt too freaky. Serph was her CO. She shouldn't be having these sorts of feelings for him. It was…wrong.

But, she can neither deny nor admit to him that what she was feeling was unreal or untrue.

She heard him groan and felt him press himself further against her, pressing her, in turn on the wall. She involuntarily moaned. She suddenly remembered her silent protest and pressed herself onto the wall, in an attempt to put space in between hers and Serph's heated bodies.

Tough luck, she was already cornered.

Serph's eyes were closed now, letting his body and his hands feel for him. He breathed in her scent; cherry blossoms…

His hands latching themselves onto her hips and from there traveling up to her torso sent shivers down her spine.

Argilla's mind was screaming bloody murder but her body refused to comply. She involuntarily leaned into his touch.

The sound of nearby murmuring snapped her back to reality. But Serph on the other hand seemed not to notice and continued nuzzling her neck.

She moaned, "Serph…"

She took his hands in hers and pried them gently from her body. She turned around and looked at him, whispering icily, "We're still in the middle of the street! We can't do this…!"

With those words, she ran from him once more. He stood there, stunned at just what transpired. It was clear to him now that she was the only person, the only woman who could awaken such strong urges of desires from him.

What they had just shared was proof of that. And what was more, was that it proved to him that she had felt it too. She had felt that burning desire within her as well.

But…why did she run? Again?

He frowned in confusion.

Was it possible that she did not want him the way he wanted her?

Then, why did her body react the way it did?

Was it possible that her body reacted separately from her conscious mind? Was it possible for him as well?

Did that mean that he did not truly desire her, but his body did?

He growled in frustration.

This was getting out of hand.

He thought that by reestablishing physical contact with her, he could better understand what he was feeling; what his body was going through…but then, he came out more confused as ever.

Now, he had another factor to consider: a person's conscious mind.

Bodily reactions were predictable, he mused. Like insects that responded to situation and stimuli, their bodies were made as such that they involuntarily leaned towards sources of warmth when cold, shivered when it's cold and so on.

But, where did one's mind fit in?

He was going to find her.

He was going to make her want him the way he wanted her.

xxxxx

"Heat!!" She yelled his name as she saw him walking toward his room.

Heat whipped around to see her in a very displeased manner. He immediately picked up his smirk and plastered it on his poker face, "Hey, what's up?"

"Shut up Heat!" she said sternly.

"Listen," she began, her tone changing from the demanding voice to a mellowed one, "about last night…"

"You want me to be quiet eh?" he asked, his grin widening.

"Yes, basically." she agreed, her tone, flat.

"Well…" he leered, "I would do it…but for a price…"

Argilla glared daggers into his face and muttered darkly, "You're going to keep quiet about it Heat, because if you don't you just might wake up one day castrated!"

Heat sweat-dropped but was amused nonetheless. He figured Argilla to be the gentlest member of their team. She wouldn't dare harm him; besides, she can't. But hey, she was dead serious about this issue, so, Heat reckoned that he'd let her have her way.

"Alright Argilla. You can count on me."

"You better keep your word!" she snapped, crossing her arms.

xxxxx


	3. Incubus

A/N: There is a LIME in this chapter. For Disclaimer, refer back to Chapter 1.

Chapter 3: Incubus

Argilla looked at herself in the mirror. She had always been a soldier. She didn't have many memories of her childhood; and what she remembered were scenarios of blood, gore and guts.

She looked at herself regretfully.

Could her life have turned out any better than this?

Probably not.

She could have been killed; or worse, had she not joined Embryon.

But, reminiscing wasn't the reason why she was looking at herself. It was her, per se. She wanted to look at herself as a third person. She wanted to know how others viewed her. It was true that since she had been always a soldier, she hardly cared about what and how she looked like, most especially to other people.

'They could go shove it up their asses for all I care' was the usual sneer that she used to bark at anyone who would dare to comment on her physical appearance.

But, now though, it would seem that something had changed.

She no longer saw a soldier in the mirror. She saw a woman.

She saw a woman with soft, fluffy pink hair with bright pink eyes. She saw a woman with full luscious lips, a long elegant neck and collarbone, broad shoulders, unblemished skin, a developed chest and long creamy legs.

But, despite her acute assessment, she did not know how to interpret it.

Do her characteristics measure as good or bad?

In short, she was asking the same question that immature and insecure teenage girls had done, "Am I ugly?"

"Am I unattractive?"

Hold on.

Unattractive? To whom?

_Who cares? _

'Serph would care…'

'What the-? Where did that come from?' she shook her head, closing her eyes. Since when did she care about how she looked in front of Serph?

She desperately wanted to say she didn't care but she couldn't. Why? Because at the end of the day, she cared. She cared about what he thought of her.

'I'm not getting anywhere with this…I'd better get some sleep.'

With a tired body and a defeated mind, she collapsed on her bed and with the last ounce of strength in her body, she buried herself under the covers.

'I wish I could just stay here forever…'

xxxxx

Serph watched her from the shadows of her room. She had not been aware that he had been there the entire time, evaluating her.

He watched her breathing and as it became slowed and steady, he knew that she was asleep.

He carefully watched the woman in front of him and walked slowly towards her, not daring to make a sound.

He stopped right in front of her bed and let his eyes travel up and down her body. He gazed at her longingly. Something in him had awakened once more as he suddenly had the compelling desire to touch her.

Unconsciously, he sat on her bed as his left hand reached out to touch her face. Serph could feel what little amount of self control he had begin to dwindle away.

He wanted this woman in front of him.

He gently stroked her face and then caressed her hair. It was soft and feather-like. Completely complying to his urges, he carefully got on the bed with his legs straddling her without touching her. He supported himself by being on all fours with her securely beneath him.

He gazed into her face. Her lips were slightly parted with its corners curved upward with a hint of a smile. Blood rushed into his system as he felt her minty breath tickle his face.

All he wanted to do now was kiss her. He began to lean in towards her but then, froze as her eyes met his.

"Why did you run from me?" he asked innocently, as the woman beneath him was too shocked to talk.

"Serph…" she whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to know why you ran from me…"

Serph searched her eyes for answers. He gazed intently at them then realized that she was having an internal battle within herself. She couldn't answer.

"Why?" he asked again, prodding her to give him any answer.

"Because…" she began, "I…We can't do this…" she finished lamely.

"Why?" he asked once more, his eyes twinkling.

"Because…I don't feel anything for you…and you're my CO…"

Ah yes. It was her ace in the hole. Serph would leave her alone once he realized that it was against military conduct to fraternize with subordinates.

The triumphant feeling within her began to shake as she noticed that Serph had neither spoken nor moved from his current position.

"You lie…"

"What?" she asked, disbelieving in what she had just heard.

"You feel something…"

Before she could respond he clamped his mouth over hers, kissing her hungrily. His hands that supported his weight grabbed her arms and pinned them over her head as he expected her to attempt to squirm from him yet again.

His legs straddled her hips and immobilized her, keeping her in place. She gasped in his mouth and he just kissed her harder with urgent fervor as his invading tongue raided her mouth.

His weight fell on her and he pinned her down successfully. Now, she can neither move nor speak.

Up to now, she had been running from him and had succeeded in eluding him. Now, she was not going anywhere until he got his answers.

Feeling the need to come for air, he dislodged his lips from hers but quickly covered her mouth with his left hand, leaving only his right hand to pin both her wrists over her head.

"Don't scream…" he instructed.

She nodded and he slowly removed hand from her mouth. He looked at her once more and saw that her eyes were shocked and slightly afraid. But behind those emotions, he saw what he had been searching for in her since the night before; lust.

Serph had been right; she felt it too.

She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"Why did you run?" he asked again.

She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I ran because…I didn't know what to say to you…or how to act around you. Last night changed everything for you and me…I felt…differently about you since last night…"

He said nothing but then presented her with a new question, "Why did you lie?"

She bit her lip, "I lied because…I feel that this is wrong…We…can't-we shouldn't…"

"We shouldn't what?" he prodded gently.

"We shouldn't…give in…to our desires…"

He smiled gently at her, removing his right hand from her wrists to cup her face, "Then," he whispered seductively, "you feel it too…"

"Argilla…I want you…"

"Serph…but the others…"

He shook his head, "They don't matter…"

"But…"

"Just feel…"

He silenced her with another bruising kiss. Argilla had fought so hard against her desires, but now, she wasn't so sure she wanted to keep fighting. She felt warm in his arms; warm and wanted. This was a new feeling for her; to be wanted; to be coveted and desired.

That night, it was just Serph and her. No one else mattered. No one else's opinion mattered.

"Don't fight it…" he said gently.

He began to kiss her neck and she did not object. She too, had lost all control. His hands were roaming wherever they pleased and she didn't care. She wanted this; she wanted him. She moaned as his left hand fondled her right breast. His lips left wet kisses on her neck and collarbone before they finally descended on her chest. His hands then traveled to the straps of her gown and pulled them down.

She shivered slightly as her skin met the chilly air in her room.

But all feeling of the cold quickly dissipated as he covered her in his arms.

She didn't know how much time had passed. But now, they were both bare, their limbs entangled, their lips engaged in a duel for supremacy.

Her hands that once protested were now latched onto his shoulders, pulling him closer to herself.

Serph never knew that feelings like this existed. He had found the one for him. Something told him that she would be the one. The one what? He wasn't exactly sure, but he knew that in the face of uncertainty, she would be his only constant.

By now the air in her room grew damp. Serph stifled the moans and grunts that threatened to erupt from his throat.

They didn't want to be heard after all. The air ducts were distributed throughout the barrack. He knew that from firsthand experience after all.

"Serph…please…"

Serph groaned in her chest. His instincts were guiding him now. In this moment, he completely forgot that he led Embryon. Tonight, he was just a man. The primordial feeling deep in his chest pushed its way into the forefront and overwhelmed his senses.

Now engulfed with a new feeling of urgency and possessiveness, he parted her legs. His instincts told him what to do. Argilla knew too what was to happen.

She braced herself for the pain. It came all too suddenly as she felt him force his way inside her. At that moment, she didn't know what to make out of her feelings.

She felt happy and…complete.

It was as if, something in her had always been missing. But now, Serph had filled that void. She felt happy and fulfilled. She didn't really understand it yet, these emotions that she felt, but she had a feeling that now that Serph was with her, everything would be alright.

Argilla felt her tear roll down her cheek and held him closer to her.

"Serph…" she breathed out.

In the next moments, their unity had given them their keys to nirvana. Serph fell on her body once more, breathless.

He held her closer to himself and mentally promised that nothing would ever happen to her. He would protect and cherish her. She was no longer just a comrade to him; she was more. She was his mate. She was his better half and no one would ever tear them apart.

"Argilla…"

"…?"

"I…" he thought for a moment, further nuzzling in the crook of her neck, "I…want you with me…for always…"

"Serph…"

"I want to always have you…with me…"

"I think I understand Serph…" she smiled gratefully, closing her eyes as she took in his scent of sandalwood and fresh rain.

"I want that too…" she whispered.

So where did one's conscious mind fit in? Nowhere. The conscious mind reminded them of what they should and shouldn't do. It was the source of all human reason. But, Serph concluded, what he and Argilla had just shared needed not the mind. What they needed was the heart.

They did not need to find reason; they needed to _feel._

xxxxx

The three at the Strategy Room stood shocked at what they had just witnessed. But no matter what kind of rationalization they wanted to air, nothing made sense.

That was…erotic. Erotic? What did that even mean?

"I don't know," Heat interjected, "but it sounds about right, don't you think?"

"…"

Gale stood frozen at his spot. He was shocked, to say the least at what he saw; shocked but intrigued. What Serph had said to Argilla made absolutely no sense to him whatsoever. What they had just done was completely out of bounds. It was completely devoid of reason. He simply did not comprehend it.

Heat gazed at Gale and saw him with closed eyes while his finger touched his forehead.

'What had just happened between Serph and Argilla…?'

When Gale ordered that Argilla's movements and activities monitored, he had only the purest of intentions. He did not believe her when she had said that nothing had happened during the time when they had gone on their mission. Gut feeling or intuition, Gale knew that she, as well as Serph, was hiding something.

As a cool and calculating leader, Gale felt it was his responsibility to ensure that there was nothing amiss. 'After all,' Gale mused, 'Argilla may be a spy for the other tribes. Trust is a very delicate thing. I cannot risk defection here.'

But, truly, what he had just bore witness to was something that was completely unexpected.

"Dat was…interesting ja?" Cielo said, flabbergasted.

"I saw it coming…" Heat said, smirking, "I'm just glad that Leader finally grew up."

Gale looked at Heat questioningly, "Heat? What do you mean that you 'saw this coming'?"

Heat looked as if he was a burglar caught in the middle of a heist, "Well…nothing…"

Gale quirked up an eyebrow, "Does this have something to do with this morning's issue with Argilla and Serph?"

Ouch. Bingo. Direct hit.

Heat had always been glad that Gale was as sharp as a knife, but these where the times when he just felt damned annoyed. Why did Gale have to be that smart?

'If you ask me, he's too smart for his own good!' he thought.

"Well, nothing. Can't say old man. I promised it was confidential, so I can't say a word. But don't worry, it's got nothing to do with espionage and spying and that crap that you're probably thinking of right now." Heat smirked and gave himself a mental pat in the back, 'Nice save Ace!'

Gale may have been a smart-ass but he was honorable. He would honor Heat's vow; at least, that was what Heat was counting on anyway.

Cielo looked from Heat to Gale and from Gale back to Heat, "Ey? Everything okay brudda?"

Gale snapped from his trance and nodded at Heat, "Agreed. Your word must not be broken."

Heat's inner self shouted cries of victory and he smirked triumphantly. He then stretched his limbs, "Well, as much as I enjoyed this, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." It was then that Heat heard the voice inside his head, 'What about your promise to her? Eh? She'd kill you if she knew that you saw _everything._'

'Would you give me a break? I just saved my word back there!' Heat growled at himself, 'Besides, technically, I kept my word. I didn't tell Gale or Cielo; nor did I tell them to monitor the two…'

Heat's two comrades remained unspeaking and he stopped just before the door, "Oh and, if you need to, do it. But, just don't make a mess of the bathroom okay? I was talking about you Cielo."

"Wat?" Cielo asked, wide-eyed.

Heat smirked and turned to Gale who had a lost expression, "As for you, I'll take you out one of these days to meet a special lady."

Gale's cheeks turned pink but said nothing and Heat continued, "Well, who knows, you might get lucky like Serph eh?"

"Heat. Get out." Gale said indifferently.

'Special lady? Lucky?' these terms made no sense to Gale.

"I'm goin!"

Gale stood there for a moment, thinking once more about Serph and Argilla. He had seen and heard them, much to his dismay. But, it was their words and how they held each other after their union that captured Gale's interest.

In the beginning, he mused that coupling or their union was a necessity. Undoubtedly, he concluded that it was a very pleasurable act. Men and women in their world suffered greatly of war and tragedy; it would be natural to assume that some form of escape or recreation was necessary to sustain one's physical and psychological wellbeing. 'Could this coupling be one of the ways in which this could be done?' Gale thought calculatingly.

'It would make perfect sense. It is required by the body and of the sound mind…But…' he frowned. There was a flaw in his sense of reasoning.

'Then…if that is so, then why did Serph…say all those things…? Why not simply unite with other females of his choice? Why stick to Argilla?'

It was unreasonable…unless…it was not reason that drove the union of people.

'Then, what is it?' Gale asked exasperatedly. His head was beginning to hurt from all this contemplation. He frowned as he remembered Heat's proposal, 'Meet a special lady?' He didn't want to admit it to anyone, most especially to Heat, but Gale knew that in this area, he was as blind as a bat.

Heat and Serph knew more about it than he. Perhaps taking his proposal will serve as an advantage for him rather than as a point of ridicule.

'Hm, come to think of it, it would be a perfect opportunity to test my hypothesis…'

Cielo's grumbles broke Gale from his thoughts. He turned to Cielo, "Don't forget to remove the cameras at the ventilation shaft."

"Why do I have to do it?" Cielo asked, pouting.

"Because I said so."

xxxxx

FIN


End file.
